Still Waters 35,790

Still Waters 35,790

Call it the ultimate in high art: Using a well-timed laser, NASA scientists have beamed a picture of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, to a powerful spacecraft orbiting the moon, marking a first in laser communication.

It is very fascinating. All the money we spend on fancy high tech computers and mobiles will be replaced in years to come with the new laser types. With this in mind, i think computer and mobile phone companies should severely reduce their prices now, seeing that we will have to replace it all when these companies tell us that they are worthless because the laser technology has now taken over.

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Merc14 21,878

Merc14 21,878

That it is at light speed is not the point, radio waves also travel at light speed, the point is that lasers are able to carry more information than radio waves.

The data was scrambled and full of errors and very slow delivery so it doesn't seem at all practical to do this through the atmosphere but I think it would be invaluable for data transfer between two space-borne platforms. Massive amounts of data could be transferred error free without the interfering atmosphere to impede the beam. I think that in the not to distant future light will be used throughout most electronics including microprocessors.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Merc14

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Lava_Lady 1,347

Lava_Lady 1,347

I thought NASA was going to project the Mona Lisa on to the moon... I was feeling so excited about it, I wanted to watch NASA do that from the beach with a glass of wine...but, yeah...this is good too. Would have been cool to see a slide show projected on to the moon but it's fine. Yup, this is cool too.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Lava_Lady

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Starseed hybrid 1111 83

Starseed hybrid 1111 83

that's pretty cool not sure what any good it will bring though.considering its "NASA" anyway what happens to the painting was that the real picture or just a copy?cause if its the real thing wow that's a waste!!!

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freetoroam 30,780

freetoroam 30,780

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that's pretty cool not sure what any good it will bring though.considering its "NASA" anyway what happens to the painting was that the real picture or just a copy?cause if its the real thing wow that's a waste!!!

The real Mona Lisa is on permanent display at the Musee du Louvre, I do not believe even NASA can get it off the French that easily.

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Erudite Celt 48

Erudite Celt 48

I think a lot of people have misunderstood the article. They did not project a picture of the Mona Lisa onto the moon from earth! Nor did they project a picture of the Mona Lisa onto a craft orbiting the moon from earth!

They transmitted a digital signal of the Mona Lisa via pulsed laser light to the moon orbiting satellite that relayed the signal back to earth. If you are reading this via fibre optic broadband then your router is receiving the same sort of signal the satellite received only it was getting the signal via direct line of sight and not a cable [obviously].

If your thinking of this idea your so wrong.

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Erudite Celt 48

Erudite Celt 48

It is very fascinating. All the money we spend on fancy high tech computers and mobiles will be replaced in years to come with the new laser types. With this in mind, i think computer and mobile phone companies should severely reduce their prices now, seeing that we will have to replace it all when these companies tell us that they are worthless because the laser technology has now taken over.

If your on fibre optic broadband then you already have the technology!

Waspie_Dwarf 12,086

If your on fibre optic broadband then you already have the technology!

Not really.

There is a huge difference between sending a laser signal along a fibre optic cable between two fixed points and transmitting a laser signal directly to a fast moving satellite a quarter of a million miles away.